Laser smoking apparatus

ABSTRACT

A laser smoking device featuring a laser diode heating source for combustion or vaporization. Variants include self-contained versions as well as variants for use with existing water pipes.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No.16/427,927 filed May 31, 2019, which is a continuation-in-part ofapplication Ser. No. 15/386,168, filed Dec. 21, 2016, the contents ofeach of which are incorporated herein in their entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

An improvement on devices which are used to heat or combust mediacontaining pharmacological compounds in order to generate smoke or vaporcontaining these compounds for the purpose of inhalation.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Vaporizers have been used for some time to vaporize a variety ofcompounds (e.g. nicotine, THC, aromatics) usually derived from a plantbase (e.g. tobacco, cannabis) that are designed to be inhaled. In mostapplications, the resulting vapor is then inhaled into the lungs, wherethe compounds are absorbed into the bloodstream through the pulmonarycapillaries, a process often referred to as “vaping”. Vaporizers aretypically battery-powered and feature a resistance-based heating elementto raise the temperature of a liquid medium in which the compound issuspended, such as solutions of propylene glycol, or glycerol, orcombinations of the two. The pharmacological compound can also beinfused into a solid medium; such a medium is often referred to as“wax”, “butter”, “concentrate”, etc.

In its most basic form, the resistance heating element is part of acircuit including a battery and a switch controlling the flow of currentfrom the battery to the resistance. Heat is generated by current flowingthrough resistance in the heating element.

There are a variety of issues with such devices. First, residue from thevaporized compound or its suspension medium will usually adhere to theheating element, degrading the efficiency of the heating element overtime to the point where it will need to be replaced, as cleaning of theheating element is impractical. Second, direct contact between theheating element and the medium can “burn” the herbal extract, resultingin unpleasant vapor flavor resulting from actual oxidation/burning ofthe compound. Further, conventional resistance-based heating elementsare somewhat inefficient. One alternative, published in U.S. Appl. No.20160213866 A1 (Tan), uses ultrasonic waves to induce vaporization ofthe compound-containing medium.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The embodiments described herein replace the conventionalresistance-based heating elements with a laser emitter, such as a diodeemployed in conjunction with a collimating lens. The target mediumcontaining compound is placed in a container located in the path of theresulting beam, resulting in direct radiative heating of the medium bythe laser. If the medium contains pharmaceutical compounds such astobacco, this results in “cleaner” vaporization of the medium, which inturn results in a better flavor profile for the user. It also prolongsthe life of the vaporizer. In a preferred embodiment described herein,the laser diode's collimating unit can be cleaned much more readily thana heating coil.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows the overall configuration of a preferred embodiment of thevaporizer device.

FIG. 1A is a top view of the generator section.

FIG. 1B shows the bottom view of the generator section.

FIG. 2 shows a top view of the vaporizer section cavity.

FIG. 3 is a profile view of the reservoir section.

FIG. 3A is a profile view of the vapor pipe.

FIG. 3B is a profile view of a universal adapter for use in thereservoir section.

FIG. 4 is a top view of the storage section of the vaporizer unit.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of the vaporizerunit.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a conventional water pipe used forsmoking.

FIG. 7 is a schematic drawing of an embodiment of a laser smokingapparatus intended for use with a water pipe.

FIG. 8 is a cutaway illustration of the adapter assembly and stemfitting of an embodiment of a laser smoking apparatus.

FIG. 9 is an external plan view of the bottom of the adapter assembly.

FIG. 10 is a top plan and side elevation view of the cup.

FIG. 11 is a schematic illustration of an alternate embodiment of thedevice.

FIG. 12 is a schematic illustration of the safety interlock mechanismfor one embodiment of the device.

FIG. 13 illustrates an embodiment of the device being used with analternate embodiment of the water pipe showing in FIG. 6 .

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The invention is described in preferred embodiments in the followingdescription with reference to the Figures, in which like numbersrepresent the same or similar elements. Reference throughout thisspecification to “one embodiment”, “an embodiment”, or similar languagemeans that the feature, structure, or characteristic described inconnection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment ofthe present invention. Thus, the phrases “in one embodiment”, “in anembodiment”, “in certain embodiments”, and similar language throughoutthis specification may, but do not necessarily, all refer to the sameembodiment. It is noted that, as used in this description, the singularforms “a”, “an”, and “the” include plural referents unless the contextclearly dictates otherwise.

The described features, structures, or characteristics of the inventionmay be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. Inthe following description, numerous specific details are recited toprovide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the invention. Oneskilled in the relevant art will recognize, however, that the inventionmay be practiced without one or more of the specific details, or withother methods, components, materials, and so forth. In other instances,well-known structures, materials, or operations are not shown ordescribed in detail to avoid obscuring aspects of the invention.

In this disclosure, the terms “combustion”, “combust”, and “vaporize”,and “vaporizer” are generically used to refer to the same process,namely, the heating of vaporizable or combustible media, with the onlyrelevant difference being the degree of heating: heating media until themedia (or the active ingredient thereof) is vaporized or heating untilcombustion/burning of the media occurs. This is generally also dependentupon the actual substance being used. For example, substances likenicotine or THC are obtained from plant matter (i.e. tobacco andcannabis, respectively) which is burned. However, the active chemicalcompositions of these and other substances (e.g. for use in fragrant oraromatherapeutic applications) may also be prepared in a vaporizablemedia.

FIG. 1 is an elevation view of one preferred embodiment of a vaporizerdevice. The device is comprised of five major segments: generatorsection 101, vaporizer section 201, cooling reservoir 301, storagesection 401, and base 501. Each of these sections will be described ingreater detail below.

In preferred embodiments, generator section 101 has a selector dial 102with index 103, and vaporizer power settings 104. An exterior casingcontains laser diode 106 and batteries 107. In certain embodiments inwhich rechargeable batteries 107 are used, generator section 101contains charging port 105. As shown in FIG. 1A, power button 108 islocated on top of the generator section 101. FIG. 1B is a view of thebottom of the generator section 101, i.e. the section that pointsdownward into vaporizer section 201, showing the collimating lensassembly 204. At the bottom of generator section 101 are magneticinterlocks 109, the purpose of which will be described in greater detailbelow.

In certain embodiments of the invention, a laser diode 106 emits theenergy used to vaporize a medium that can be inhaled directly into thelungs. Such a medium can range from water vapor, to a medium (e.g.“wax”) containing a variety of pharmacological or therapeutic compoundsranging from nicotine or THC, to aromatics such as herbs or spices usedto modify the aroma of a room in order to adjust the mood of anindividual (e.g. aromatherapy). The beam generated by a laser diode isdiffuse; therefore, laser diode 106 in the preferred embodiment is usedin conjunction with a collimating lens assembly 204. The laser diode 106in the preferred embodiment is a Nichia NDB 7875 450 nm 1.6-2 W 9 mmlaser. In certain other embodiments, an infrared (IR) (i.e. ˜633-670 nmwavelength) laser was found to be more efficient in heating thematerial. Since an IR laser is invisible to the naked eye, one or morelaser diodes may be used in connection with the IR laser diode foraesthetic or safety purposes. With regard to the latter purpose, theelectrical circuit providing power to the IR and non-IR laser diodeswould have an interlock preventing the IR laser diode from emittingwithout the non-IR laser diode also emitting, so that a user would havea visual indication of the IR laser operating where the visualindication would otherwise be absent. In these embodiments featuringcombined IR and non-IR laser diodes, one or more collimating lenses maybe used in connection with the diode emitters. The non-IR laser diodesemit colored light, with the color of the laser selected to suit thedesired application. Batteries 107 in the preferred embodiment are 1.5 vLR41 arranged in a circular array around the laser diode when viewedfrom above. In certain embodiments, rechargeable batteries 107 can beused, and in these embodiments, a USB charging port 105 is used.

To load the unit, generator section 101 is removed from the top ofvaporizer section 201. Generator section 101 is held securely in placeusing magnetic interlocks 109 in the bottom of the generator section, asshown in FIG. 1B. The interlocks are slightly larger in diameter thanlocking rods 212, which are rigidly attached to the base 214 ofvaporizer section 201 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 . In the preferredembodiment, at least the tops of locking rods 212 are made of a ferrousmaterial, which permits these to be securely engaged to magneticinterlocks 109, thereby holding generator section in place magnetically.Magnetic interlocks 109 and locking rods 212 are also part of a circuitpreventing the laser from operating when the unit is opened. Whenlocking rods 212 are not in contact with magnetic interlocks 109, thiscauses the circuit between the batteries 107 and laser diode 106 toopen. This acts as one safety mechanism to prevent the laser fromoperating when generator section 101 is removed from the unit. Inpreferred embodiments, there are three locking rods disposed 120 degreesaround the circumference of base 214. For safety, all of these rods mustengage magnetic interlocks 109 in order for the power circuit betweenbattery 107 and laser diode 106 to operate.

Once the generator section 101 is removed, medium containing the desiredpharmacological compound is placed into cup 203, which is held in placeby a thin-walled cylindrical bracket 205 that is securely attached to(or even integral with) the bottom of combustion cavity 215, as shown inFIGS. 1 and 2 .

To use the device, a user selects the vaporization temperature usingselector dial 102 to align index 103 with the desired vaporizer powersetting 104. In one preferred embodiment, the heating unit has threesettings on vaporizer power setting 104, i.e. “OFF”, “ON”, and “MAX”. Inall embodiments, the “OFF” setting inhibits the flow of power to thebattery and acts as one safety to ensure the laser diode does notoperate even if the power button 108 shown in FIG. 1A is pressed. In oneembodiment, selection of the “ON” setting results in a temperature inthe vaporizer at approximately 410° F., while selecting the “MAX”setting results in a vaporizer temperature of approximately 800° F. Incertain embodiments where the laser diode is capable emitting across acontinuous power range, the temperature may be varied continuously alonga given range, typically between 410° F. to 800° F., depending upon themedium used.

Once the vaporization temperature is set, the user presses power button108, which closes a switch providing power from batteries 107 to laserdiode 106 and initiates the heating sequence, which in the preferredembodiment typically takes 15-20 seconds, after which the circuit switchautomatically opens, and the power button resets. When power is appliedduring the heating sequence, coherent light is emitted from laser diode106. Due to the wide diffusion of the beam, a collimating lens assembly204 is required to focus the beam onto the material containing thepharmacological compound to be vaporized that is held in cup 203.Collimating lens assembly 204 is attached to and protrudes from thebottom of generator section 101 into the top of vaporizer section 201 asshown in FIGS. 1 and 1B, and is positioned directly above cup 203,typically at a distance of 10-20 mm. The exterior wall 202, which inpreferred embodiments is made of aircraft-grade aluminum or an alloythereof, confines the vapor inside the combustion cavity 215; exteriorwall 202 may have small check valves permitting one-way flow of air fromthe exterior of the unit to facilitate the flow of vapor from thevaporizer section 201 through reservoir 304 and through exhaust port303.

The beam emitted by laser diode 106 through collimating lens assembly204 heats the medium in cup 203 to the desired vaporization temperature,which is typically 410° F. to 800° F. as noted above. The resultingvapor is drawn through combustion cavity 215 and slots 206 shown inFIGS. 1 and 2 into a plenum 207 at the bottom of vaporizer section 201,and then through a channel 213. Channel 213 connects plenum 207 withpipe 306, which extends downward into reservoir 304, as shown in FIG. 3. Pipe 306 is attached to the threaded lower end 210 of channel 213using female threaded connection 307. In the preferred embodiments, auniversal adapter 309 shown in FIG. 3B can alternatively be used, whichuses female threads 310 to securely attach to channel 213 via malethreads 209 at the bottom of vaporizer section 201. As shown in FIG. 3 ,pipe 306 or universal adapter 309 protrudes downward into reservoir 304,which is typically filled with water. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 3A, pipe306 contains openings 308 which allow hot vapor drawn from thecombustion cavity to pass through a liquid, typically water, containedin reservoir 304, which cools and humidifies the hot vapor. Exhaust port303 may contain a check valve and in the preferred embodiment has eithera threaded coupling or a nipple permitting attachment of inhalationtubing used to conduct the vapor from the device into the respiratorytract.

While generator section 101 and vaporizer section 201 are held togethermagnetically by locking rods 212, the vaporizer section 201 and thecooling reservoir 301 are held together by male threaded connection 208and female threaded connection 302. Cooling reservoir 301 attaches tostorage section 401 via male threaded connection 305 and female threadedadapter 402. Storage section 401 in the preferred embodiment holdspharmacological compound-containing media in four different sections:three peripheral storage compartments 403 and one center storagecompartment 404, as shown in FIG. 4 . Storage section 401 is alsodesigned to slide into base 501, which in profile is a truncated coneshape that holds the assembly securely upright.

Another embodiment of a combustion unit 500 is shown in FIG. 5 . In thisembodiment, the walls of vaporizer cavity 215 have one or more viewports503 which permits the operator of the vaporizer unit to observe theheating or vaporization of the material contained in cup 203. Laserdiode 106 as described above is classified as a “Class IV” laser device,which can instantly burn skin and cause severe eye damage even fromreflected light. Due to the intensity of the scattered light emittedfrom laser diode 106, shielding 502 protects the operator's eyes duringoperation of combustion unit 500. Shielding 502 in certain embodimentsis comprised of either extruded or injection-molded polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA)/plexiglass, polyethlylene, PTFE, or other suitablematerial that is transparent and is capable of incorporating alaser-absorbing dye. In one preferred embodiment, shielding 502 isproduced by mixing PMMA feedstock with red color masterbatch or powderingredients. The feedstock and powdered dye are then baked at about 80degrees Celsius and then extruded at a temperature of 220-250 degreesCelsius. Shielding 502 in this embodiment was produced by DongguanBozhou Plastic Electronic Material Co.,, Ltd in Dongguan, China.Additionally, the interior of vaporizer cavity 215 is lined withabsorptive materials suitable for attenuating the amount of scatteredlight emanating from viewports 503. In this embodiment, the walls ofreservoir 304 are made of clear plexiglass, PMMA, or other suitabletransparent materials.

Another embodiment may be used with an existing water pipe 600 (e.g.hookah, bong, etc.) such as that shown in FIG. 6 . The water pipe 600comprises a removable bowl 601, vapor tube 602, water reservoir 603,vapor chamber 604, inhalation tube 605, and mouthpiece 606. Tobacco,cannabis, or other smokable substances are placed in the removable bowl601 and burned typically using open flame generated from a lighter ormatch. The removable bowl 601 and vapor tube 602 are typically orientedupwardly; the overall water pipe 600 must be held generally upright whenin use to avoid spilling water contained in water reservoir 603.However, open flame rises vertically, so when using a lighter or amatch, the lighter or match must be held at an angle downwardly in orderfor the flame to come into contact with material located in removablebowl 601. The potential for burned fingers, hair, or even face is notinsignificant in such situations, particularly when a user's mouth is incontact with mouthpiece 606. Water pipes are configured to minimize therisk to some extent; however, the embodiment described below solves theproblem of an open flame completely.

An embodiment that is suitable for use with legacy water pipes such asthat shown in FIG. 6 is illustrated in FIG. 7 . This embodiment featuresa combustion unit 700 which includes combustion assembly 701 and anadapter assembly 702 that is detachable from combustion assembly 701.The combustion assembly 701 includes control assembly 703, battery 107,laser diode 106, and collimating lens assembly 204. Viewports 503permits viewing the interior of combustion cavity 215 while the laser isin operation, i.e. so the combustion or vaporization process can beobserved directly. Shielding 502 as described above for the embodimentillustrated in FIG. 5 above covers viewports 503 and prevents eye injurydue to the intense laser energy generated by laser diode 106. Combustionassembly 701 also contains one or more air inlets 7001, which facilitatedrawing smoke or vapor from the vaporizer cavity 215. Adapter assembly702 consists of loading chamber housing 706 disposed on shielding plate707. Multiple locking lugs 705 are attached or integral to the uppersides of loading chamber housing 706. Adapter assembly 702 is insertedinto the lower portion of combustion assembly 701 so that loadingchamber housing 706 extends upwardly into combustion cavity 215 andlocking lugs 705 insert into locking channels 704. Adapter assembly 702is locked into place when locking lugs 705 are inserted into lockingchannels 704 of combustion assembly 701 and adapter assembly 702 isrotated relative to vaporizer assembly 701 so that locking lugs 705cannot be withdrawn from locking channels 704 due to the configurationof the latter.

The embodiments shown in FIGS. 5, 7-8, and 13 feature a different safetyinterlock from the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1-2 . A schematic ofthis safety interlock is illustrated in FIG. 12 . Locking lugs 705incorporates electrical contact pins 5, 6, and GND (ground). Pins 5 and6 are electrically connected to an integrated circuit which forms partof the control assembly for laser diode 106, while the third contact isconnected to ground. All three pins must be in contact withcomplimentary pins located in the horizontal (i.e. locked) portion oflocking channels 704 in order for the circuit supplying power to laserdiode 106 to function. This safety interlock mechanism, in connectionwith the shielding 502 for viewports 503, and shielding plate 707described below, permit use of a Class IV laser in the configurationsdescribed herein.

FIG. 8 illustrates a cross sectional view of the adapter assembly 702through section A-A illustrated in FIG. 7 , with the cup 203 removedfrom loading chamber 7061. Cup 203 is shown in plan and elevation viewsin FIG. 10 . The bottom of cup 203 in this embodiment features cup ventholes 2031 in the bottom of cup 203, which allow the smoke or vaporgenerated in vaporizer chamber to be drawn downwardly into adapterassembly. Cup 203 may be used in lieu of loading combustible materialdirectly into loading chamber 7061. This is generally more convenient,since one cup can be loaded while the other cup is being used. However,loading chamber 7061 is capable of receiving combustible materialdirectly, without use of cup 203.

In the embodiment shown, the bottom exterior 2032 of cup 203 comprises aset of male threads; these threads engage female threads 7062 disposedat the bottom of loading chamber 7061. The bottom of loading chamber7061 features a shielding plate 707, which has a plurality of receptablevent holes 7071, which permit smoke/vapor to be drawn downward intoadapter assembly plenum 7072 incorporated into shielding plate 707thence into an internal channel 712 (see FIG. 9 ) disposed in stem 708and out through one or more stem exhaust holes 711. Shielding plate 707is necessary in part due to safety concerns due to use of a Level IVlaser device, primarily to prevent harmful secondary reflections frombeing emitted through the stem 708.

Referring to FIGS. 8 and 9 , stem 708 is to be inserted into adapterfitting 713. The shaft 709 of stem 708 is wider below the stem exhaustholes 711, which form exhaust channels 710 in stem 708 into adapterfitting 713. Adapter fitting 713 is comprised of an elastomeric materialsuch as silicone or rubber that is molded internally to accept insertionof stem 708 and allow smoke or vapor to flow through exhaust channels710 thence through a hole at the bottom of adapter fitting 713. Adapterfitting 713 comes in a variety of exterior shapes and sizes tofacilitate use with a variety of water pipe designs. The lower portionof adapter fitting 713 is molded to facilitate insertion into vapor tube602 of water pipe 600 at removable bowl 601. Exhaust channels 710 aredisposed in the sides of shaft 709 to permit vapor to be drawn from stemexhaust holes 711 through exhaust channels 710, thence through adapterfitting 713 and into vapor tube 602.

The bottom of the lower portion of adapter assembly 702 in the currentembodiment is shown in plan view in FIG. 9 and in cutaway elevation viewin FIG. 8 . The bottom of adapter assembly 702 is contoured toaccommodate the upper surface of adapter fitting 713.

Another embodiment of the vaporizer unit described in FIGS. 1 through 5is illustrated schematically in FIG. 11 . This embodiment features airpump assembly 1100, which is coupled to exhaust port 303. Air pump 1102draws smoke/vapor through intake 1103 exhausts smoke/vapor throughexhaust 1104 and is powered by rechargeable battery 1101. An example ofair pump assembly 1100 is the Light Pump 2 manufactured byFlextailgear®. This embodiment facilitates the use of combustion unit700 in aromatherapy applications, as the air pump assembly 1100 causesvapor generated by the unit to be distributed to the atmosphere in thevicinity of the unit.

FIG. 13 illustrates use of the embodiment shown in FIGS. 7-8 with analternate configuration of water pipe 600. This embodiment of water pipe600 features a base 1303 and a plug seal 1300 that is made out of anelastomeric material such as hard rubber. Plug seal 1300 accommodatesinsertion of adapter fitting 713. Exhaust pipe 1301 connects to thebottom end of adapter fitting 713 to create a seal. Smoke passes throughexhaust pipe 1301, through water reservoir 603, vapor chamber 604 and isinhaled through inhalation tube 605.

Although the present invention has been described in detail withreference to certain embodiments, one skilled in the art will appreciatethat the present invention can be practiced by other than the describedembodiments, which have been presented for purposes of illustration andnot of limitation. Therefore, the scope of the appended claims shouldnot be limited to the description of the embodiments contained herein.

What is claimed is:
 1. An apparatus for use with a water pipe comprisinga vapor tube, the apparatus comprising: a combustion assemblycomprising: a combustion assembly upper portion comprising: a battery,control assembly, laser diode, and a collimating lens coupled to thelaser diode; a combustion assembly lower portion comprising: acombustion cavity; at least one viewport allowing visual access to thecombustion cavity; a viewport shield disposed over the at least oneviewport, the viewport shield comprising laser attenuating material, andone or more locking channels, each of the one or more locking channelscomprising a first set of electrical contacts; wherein the collimatinglens is adapted to direct laser energy generated by the laser diodedownward into the combustion cavity; and an adapter assembly detachablefrom the combustion assembly, the adapter assembly comprising: anadapter assembly upper portion adapted for insertion into the combustionassembly lower portion, the adapter assembly upper portion comprising: aloading chamber housing comprising: a loading chamber; a shielding platecomprising a plurality of receptacle vent holes disposed below theloading chamber; one or more locking lugs, each of the one or morelocking lugs comprising a second set of electrical contacts; and anadapter assembly lower portion comprising a stem extending downwardlyfrom a bottom of the adapter assembly lower portion, the stemcomprising: one or more exterior exhaust channels; an internal channelterminating in one or more stem exhaust holes, wherein the internalchannel is in fluid communication with an adapter assembly plenum;wherein the adapter assembly plenum is (i) disposed below the pluralityof receptacle vent holes, and (ii) in fluid communication with theloading chamber housing via the plurality of receptacle vent holes; andan adapter fitting configured for insertion in the vapor tube, theadapter fitting comprising a first end configured to receive the stem;2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the laser diode is nonfunctionalunless the first set of electrical contacts and the second set ofelectrical contacts are in contact.
 3. The apparatus of claim 1, whereinthe combustion assembly and the adapter assembly are cylindrical,wherein the adapter assembly is adapted to rotate relative to thecombustion assembly from an unlocked position to a locked position, andwherein the first set of electrical contacts and the second set ofelectrical contacts are only in contact in the locked position.
 4. Theapparatus of claim 1, further comprising a cup comprising one or morecup vent holes corresponding to the plurality of receptacle vent holes,wherein the loading chamber is configured to receive the cup.
 5. Theapparatus of claim 3, wherein the cup further comprises a first threadedportion and the loading chamber comprises a second threaded portionadapted to engage the first threaded portion.
 6. The apparatus of claim1, wherein the laser diode is configured to emit light in a 633-670 nmwavelength band.
 7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the combustionassembly upper portion comprises a first laser diode configured to emitlight in a 633-670 nm wavelength band, and a second laser diodeconfigured to emit light in a wavelength band visible to a human eye. 8.An apparatus, comprising: a combustion assembly comprising: a combustionassembly upper portion comprising: a battery, control assembly, laserdiode, and a collimating lens coupled to the laser diode, and acombustion assembly lower portion comprising: a combustion cavity,wherein the collimating lens directs laser energy generated by the laserdiode downwardly into the combustion cavity; at least one viewportallowing visual access to the combustion cavity; a viewport shielddisposed over the at least one viewport, the viewport shield comprisinglaser attenuating material; and one or more locking channels disposed ina bottom of the combustion assembly, each of the one or more lockingchannels comprising a first set of electrical contacts; an adapterassembly, the adapter assembly comprising: an adapter assembly upperportion adapted for insertion into the combustion assembly lowerportion, the adapter assembly upper portion comprising: a loadingchamber comprising: a loading chamber; a shielding plate comprising aplurality of loading chamber vent holes disposed below the loadingchamber; one or more locking lugs, each of the one or more locking lugscomprising a second set of electrical contacts, wherein the one or morelocking lugs are adapted for insertion into the one or more lockingchannels such that the first set of electrical contacts are in contactwith the second set of electrical contacts; an adapter assembly plenumdisposed below the loading chamber, in fluid communication with theloading chamber via the plurality of loading chamber vent holes; a gaspump comprising a pump intake and a pump exhaust, wherein the pumpintake is coupled to the adapter assembly and is in fluid communicationwith the adapter assembly plenum; wherein the laser diode isnonfunctional unless the first set of electrical contacts and the secondset of electrical contacts are in contact.
 9. The apparatus of claim 8,wherein the combustion assembly and the adapter assembly arecylindrical, such that the adapter assembly is capable of rotatingrelative to the combustion assembly from an unlocked position to alocked position, wherein the first set of electrical contacts and thesecond set of electrical contacts are in contact only in the lockedposition.
 10. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising a cup havinga first threaded portion, and wherein the loading chamber comprises asecond threaded portion adapted to engage the first threaded portion.11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein a lower portion of the adapterassembly is coupled to a reservoir and a pipe comprising an inlet and anoutlet, wherein the inlet of the pipe is coupled to the adapter assemblyplenum such that the pipe is in fluid communication with the adapterassembly plenum, and wherein the outlet of the pipe terminates in thereservoir, wherein the adapter assembly further comprises an exhausttube having an exhaust tube inlet located in the reservoir, and anexhaust tube outlet coupled to the pump intake.
 12. The apparatus ofclaim 8, wherein the laser diode is configured to emit light in a633-670 nm wavelength band.
 13. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein thecombustion assembly upper portion comprises a first laser diodeconfigured to emit light in a 633-670 nm wavelength band, and a secondlaser diode configured to emit light in a wavelength band visible to ahuman eye.